Digital Commons Network^™

Household Chaos Relates To Cortisol Levels For Children In Head Start Preschool, Mary Ann Blumenthal

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Poverty and related stressors have been demonstrated to negatively impact child development. Few studies to date have investigated the relationship between one such poverty related stressor, household chaos, and its impact on cortisol levels-a biomarker for stress- throughout the day. The present study investigated the relationship between household chaos and cortisol in a diverse sample of 288 children attending Head Start preschool. Household chaos was measured by a standardized parent report measure of chaos in the home. Salivary cortisol samples were obtained during four time points across the preschool day on two days at the beginning of the preschool year. …

The Impact Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Inhibitory Control Among Emerging Adults, Lindsay Zavislak

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) include household dysfunction, abuse, and neglect, which can significantly impact mental, emotional, and physical health. 61% of the US population have experienced at least one ACE, and one in five adults have endured at least three or more ACEs before the age of 18 (Felitti et al., 1998, CDC, 2021). ACEs may also impact cognitive processes such as executive functions, attention, problem-solving, and language (Dye, 2018). Inhibition as an executive function supports self-control and impulse control, which can range from blocking an unwanted thought, to stopping oneself from engaging in a risky, potentially dangerous behavior (Diamond, …

Cognitive Functioning In Well-Controlled Asthma, Erin Walsh

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Asthma is a common lung disease that impacts lung functioning through inflammatory based mechanisms. Past research suggests that decreased blood oxygenation due to asthma attacks may impair cognitive capabilities (Irani et al., 2017). Moreover, the observed differences in cognition between those with and without asthma may be associated with disease severity or asthma control respectively in asthma populations. The current study explored differences in cognitive functioning between college students with and without self-reported asthma. Sociodemographic data, self-reported asthma severity, and measures of asthma control were collected. The current study did not find significant differences in measures of cognitive efficiency between …

Safeguarding Sleep: A Comparative Analysis Of A Non-Pharmacological Sleep Protocol In The Icu To Prevent Delirium, Rebecca Walsh

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This quality improvement project was implemented to determine non-pharmacological sleep interventions' impact on delirium incidence in a medical/surgical intensive care unit (ICU). The Confusion Assessment Method-ICU (CAM-ICU), a validated tool used to detect delirium, was used to assess patient mental status both before and after project implementation. This tool is utilized in the electronic medical record as a daily documentation tool for delirium tracking but has not been used to facilitate interventions for delirium. The literature has shown that through the use of non-pharmacologic sleep promotion and interventions, delirium diagnosis can be delayed or avoided. This can lead to decreased …

Understanding Students’ Cognitive Processes While Evaluating Online Sources: A Mixed Methods Study, Julia Lennox

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Given the substantial time young people spend online and their reliance on social media for information, research supports the importance of understanding how media literacy interventions may impact students’ abilities to process online information. This study employed a case study- explanatory sequential mixed methods research design to investigate the impact a media literacy course may have on students’ cognitive processes while evaluating online information. Twelve high school students (n=12) completed a questionnaire, the first quantitative phase, while nine (n=9) responded to performance tasks assessing their civic online reasoning skills. The sequential phase involved qualitatively analyzing assignments …

Applying Executive Function For The Sake Of Well-Being: A Case Study Of Gifted Middle School Students, Erika Lucas

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This study provided gifted middle school student participants the opportunity to discuss the complexities of gifted culture in academia as they have experienced it. This study also sought to pinpoint the emotions or feelings that students and their parents experienced as they transition to high school concerning their perceived sense of confidence and readiness as it pertained to executive function. Gen Z students deemed "gifted" are at a higher risk for depression and suicide due to the rising levels of stress and anxiety they experience (Andrews, 2014). Klimkeit et al. (2011) discovered that teenagers with depression and/or anxiety disorders exhibited …

The Impact Of Early Screening For Severe Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome On Delirium Tremens And Hospital Length Of Stay, Erin Lopes

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a prevalent condition and is a leading cause of death for adults aged 20 to 64 (Esser et al., 2022). Patients with AUD who present to acute care hospitals seeking medical treatment are at risk for alcohol withdrawal. Undertreated alcohol withdrawal can progress to delirium tremens, which can result in increased transfers to ICU level of care, increased need for sedative medications, and has been shown to prolong hospital length of stay. Early screening with the validated Predictors of Alcohol Withdrawal Severity Scale (PAWSS) tool has been shown to be both reliable and effective for …

Cortisol And Executive Functioning For Young Children Attending Head Start Preschool, Zachary Weaver

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Poverty circumstances impact the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal or HPA axis. Early childhood dysfunction in the HPA axis, marked by irregularities in cortisol, poses risk for the development of key executive functioning (EF) abilities. No studies have investigated the relation between cortisol and performance-based measures of EF in settings such as Head Start preschool that aim to promote positive outcomes for children facing economic hardship. This pilot study examined EF and cortisol for 50 children ages 3 to 5 years, who attended a Head Start preschool. This study was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a sample size less than half …

Exploring Perceptions Of Self-Compassion In Individuals With Complex Trauma Symptomology: A Qualitative Approach, Brooke Roseman

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

The aim of the present study sought to explore the perceptions of self-compassion through the perspectives of individuals who experience complex trauma symptomology and low rates of self-compassion to inform and enhance trauma treatment. Despite a growing accumulation of studies implicating self-compassion as an integral construct for alleviating symptoms associated with complex trauma, most research designs were quantitative and did not investigate the internal processes occurring within the individual. Based on this gap, the current study expanded the scope of the current literature to include a qualitative thematic analytic approach to better understand the nuances of how this population relates …

Screening For Postpartum Depression In Mothers Whose Newborns Are Admitted To The Nicu: A Quality Improvement Project, Megan Mustachio

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Women whose newborns are admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are at an increased risk to experience feelings associated with Post-partum Depression (PPD) than women whose newborns are not. The screening of this population is imperative for early identification and dissemination of community resources as a source of early intervention. The purpose of this project is to increase the number of screenings performed on the new mothers at the bedside of their NICU admitted newborn and deliver the screen to the NICU Social Work department for early intervention, and resources. This quality improvement project used a six-week retrospective …

Examining Pre-Service Teachers’ Learning Experiences Utilizing Different Modes Of Case Studies And Their Perceived Self-Efficacy In Trauma Informed Instruction, Michelle Fisher

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This study examined how different modes of case-based learning activities inform the learning experiences of undergraduate pre-service teacher candidates in an introductory special education course. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I assisted university faculty as they rapidly transitioned from teaching face-to-face courses to teaching online courses. One of the most difficult things to transition to an online format was classroom observations/practicum experiences. While there is an increasing amount of classroom video content available, it is difficult to find video observation content related to hard-to-reach populations (e.g., low-incidence disabilities, or students who have experienced trauma). The data from this study included teacher …

Differentiated Instruction: A Qualitative Study Focusing On The Voices Of Elementary Teachers And Their Needs, Suzanne S. Fanelle

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This qualitative study examined teachers’ perspectives about their implementation of differentiated instruction in an effort to support district-led professional development programming. Differentiated instruction is based on well-considered goals and thorough analysis of students’ achievement, progress, and instructional needs, combined with formative assessments and progress monitoring (Van Geel et al., 2019). An initial questionnaire was administered to all K-5 teachers in a suburban school district, followed by individual interviews with three teachers who expressed that they often use differentiation in the classroom. Each of the three teachers participated in two interviews lasting 45-60 minutes each over the course of several weeks. …

Waiting On The World (Of Allied Healthcare) To Change: How Undergraduate Preparedness Curriculum Dis/Includes Ability, Brianna Donnelly

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Significant concerns for healthcare practitioners and allied health professionals continue to arise regarding treatment of persons with disabilities. Whether disability exists as apparent or non-apparent, temporary, or chronic, people with disabilities tend to be in poorer health and tend to use health care at a significantly higher rate than people who do not have disabilities. Importantly, the absence of professional training on disability competency issues for health care practitioners is one of the most significant barriers that prevent people with disabilities from receiving appropriate and effective health care. This qualitative narrative analysis explores the inclusion of disability concepts and people …

Community Integration Experiences Of Formerly Homeless Persons With Serious Mental Illness (Smi) Housed In Washington Dc Using The Housing First Model, Gwendolyn Harter

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Two interventions which have been successful in housing and maintaining housing for individuals who have serious mental illness and are classified as chronically homeless are the Housing First Model and community integration. Currently existing models of community integration were created using dated information and definitions, created from a medical model and not a social framework. Therefore, this dissertation used a phenomenological approach to define community and whether, by that definition, the participants feel integrated into the community. This included the interviewees’ experiences with Pathways to Housing DC and transitioning from homeless to housings and the Housing First Model.

Outcomes from …

Transformational Leadership For A Remote Work Environment – Post Covid-19 Pandemic Era, Liza Craig

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

COVID-19 is caused by the novel SARS-COV-2 virus in 2020, took many lives, impacted, effected, and changed life for everyone around the world in one way or another. The rapid spread of this virus forced organizations around the world to make rather spontaneous decisions to abruptly pivot to an alternative way of working, to minimize exposure risk which transformed the traditional professional work environment to a remote option for many after the pandemic.

This qualitative research study used surveys and semi-structured follow-up interviews to explore benefits and challenges associated with post-pandemic remote work, leadership skills and behavior necessary to support …

Understanding The Experiences Of A First Grade Class With Explicit Phonics Instruction: A Qualitative Case Study, Haley Fry

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

The reading wars in American education have raged on with the most recent Science of Reading movement, with the discussion centered around phonics. This qualitative case study examined a real first-grade class as they experienced explicit phonics instruction within the context of a classroom environment in public elementary school in northeastern United States. Participants of this study included eight first-grade students and one first-grade teacher, in one first-grade class. Data collection was broken down into two phases that were rooted in Social Constructivism’s Zone of Proximal Development and Ehri’s Phases of Word Learning Theory. Phase I consisted of classroom observations …

Evaluating Change In Teacher Stress, Burnout, And Classroom Behavior In A School Implementing A New Mindfulness-Based Curriculum, Emily Hershorin

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Teachers experience higher job stress compared to non-human service professionals (Braun et al., 2019), leading to burnout and negative perceptions of work and students (Arens & Morin, 2016; Yong & Yue, 2007). Mindfulness training has been effective in reducing stress and burnout in teachers (Meiklejohn et al., 2012; Roeser et al., 2013; Fabbro et al., 2020; Guidetti et al., 2019), potentially aiding emotional support for students. However, its benefits for teachers in underserved, bilingual schools remain understudied despite their heightened stress levels. This study aimed to address this gap.

The study had three aims. Firstly, to examine if teachers’ self-reported …

Optional Depression Screening In College Health, Brittany Schugsta

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Many people living with depression are not receiving treatment. College students are a population particularly affected by depression, which has negative implications for future academic and personal success. U.S. organizations have recommended universal depression screening to identify those in need of treatment, to improve outcomes and minimize depression's effects. Primary care is a key access point for health services, including depression screening and management. Critics of depression screening cite concerns with the recommendation, specifically weak evidence of the overall benefits, potential for overdiagnosis, and overutilization of scarce primary care resources.

The project site is a large southeastern Pennsylvania public research …

Examining Student And Teacher Perceptions Of The Ilit 45 Reading Program: A Qualitative Case Study, Ashley O'Connor

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Abstract

This case study examines student and teacher perceptions toward and experiences with the iLit 45 Reading Intervention. It focuses on the perceptions of both the teacher and students’ interactions and experiences with iLit 45. The case study included five ninth-grade students and their teacher, all of them participating in the iLit 45 reading program for the 2023-2024 school year. Data sources for this study included observations, semi-structured interviews, and a review of the iLit 45 Reading program materials. The researcher coded the data collected from the observations and interviews using a combination of in vivo coding and constant comparative …

Enhancing Commercial Driver Safety Screening For Obstructive Sleep Apnea Through Educational Intervention, Wendy Mortimer

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This quality improvement project aimed to identify if an educational intervention will increase obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) screening in commercial medical drivers over six weeks. Eight healthcare providers certified as commercial medical examiners from a national occupational company in central Pennsylvania engaged in an optional educational poster for two weeks. A pre-and post-educational retrospective chart review was performed on 80 charts, 40 from pre-educational and 40 from post-educational. Each chart was reviewed to determine if the commercial driver was at risk for OSA and, if so, if the commercial medical examiner performed an obstructive sleep apnea screening. The educational intervention …

Individuals Who Experienced Early Reading Difficulty: How Teacher Connections And Educational Practices Shape Motivation, Nicole Tinney

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Reading instruction is consistently controversial in education, whether it be the Reading Wars, a debate over the Science of Reading, or issues surrounding standardized reading testing. An often overlooked component in reading instruction is motivation. Why do some students struggle to learn to read while others sail seemingly effortlessly through reading benchmarks? How do some students overcome early reading difficulty while others struggle throughout their education? Students who have a difficult time reading in elementary school often lack motivation to read and continue to have low achievement on reading tests throughout schooling (Becker et al., 2010; Mcgeown et al., 2012). …

Child Welfare Social Workers: Socially Situated Bureaucrats At The Forefront Of Systemic Racism In Practice, Christina Lau

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Anti-Black racial bias in child welfare systems was explored in this qualitative study employing an anonymous online survey and virtual interviews with child welfare professionals from around the U.S. This applied research re-examined the persistent problem of racial disproportionality in child welfare intervention rates for Black children from underrepresented perspectives of social workers in the field. The research questions asked for participants’ observations of the mechanisms through which racial bias impacts families involved with child welfare systems, and what roles individual professionals take when striving to promote equity as street-level bureaucrats. Interpretive description methods were used to develop a conceptual …

The Role Of Reward Probability And Dispositional Mindfulness On Substance Use In Trauma-Exposed Individuals, Sam Wayne

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Background: In 2020, 93,331 people died from drug overdoses (CDC, 2021), a 32% increase from the year prior and the largest figure recorded in a single year. Understanding the risk and resilience factors are crucial to taking steps towards slowing this trend. Robust research identifies trauma exposure as a risk factor for substance use. Emerging research suggests that dispositional mindfulness and reward probability as risk-resilience factors for substance use. The current study examines two of these potential factors: dispositional mindfulness and reward probability. Method: In a cross-sectional design, residents of a drug rehabilitation program who endorsed opioid use (n …

Rationality, Silence, And The Numinous: Exploring The Mystical Theology Of Otto, Thurman, And Panikkar, Welling Hall

Quaker Religious Thought

In her essay “Rationality, Silence, and the Numinous: Exploring the Mystical Theology of Otto, Thurman, and Panikkar,” Welling Hall traces out the thought of these three important advocates of mysticism as they struggle with the relationship between rea- son and that which transcends rational comprehension, an issue of ongoing interest and concern to Quaker theology. In light of this essay, we might ask ourselves whether our rituals or lack thereof are an impediment to a deeper connection with God, or a means thereunto?

Impediments To Peace: In Response To ‘The Evolution Of Peace’ By Luke Glowacki (December 16, 2022), Raymond B. Hames

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

A response to ‘The evolution of peace’ by Luke Glowacki (December 16, 2022)

While effective institutional practices are critical for the evolution of peace certain factors deter their effectiveness. In-group and out-group dynamics may make peace difficult between culturally distinct groups. Critical ecological conditions often lead to intractable conflict over resources. And within group conflicts of interest most prominently between generations may inhibit effective peace making

Listen To Your (Tipsy) Inner Voice: Ai Is Not Your Drinking Buddy, Tori R.A. Kricken

Maryland Law Review

No abstract provided.

Yugoslavia's Aftermath: Tracing The Roots Of The Icc And Its Limitations In The Ukrainian Crisis, Nikola Miovski

Loyola University Chicago International Law Review

The dissolution of Yugoslavia in the 1990's presented an opportunity for the international community to join together, and address wrongs committed against people in Eastern Europe. Specifically, wrongs committed in Bosnia Herzegovina and Kosovo presented the greatest opportunity to address the abuse of human rights, as there were reported tortures, murders, ethnic cleansing, and genocide.

The international community responded with the creation of the International Criminal Tribunal of the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), which indicted 161 high-level war criminals who had propagated some of the worst atrocities committed against segments of the Bosnian and Kosovan populations, respectively. The creation of the …

Assessing College Students’ Everyday Information Seeking: Implications For Information Literacy Instruction, Stephanie Ward, Rachel Dineen, Darren Ilett

LOEX Conference Proceedings 2024

No abstract provided.

Fertilizing The Social And Emotional Roots: Assessing Belonging, Confidence, And Connectedness In Academic Library Programming, Kathleen A. Langan

LOEX Conference Proceedings 2024

No abstract provided.

Immersive Technology Needs Pedagogy, Hannah Rainey, Hiva Kadivar

LOEX Conference Proceedings 2024

No abstract provided.